Marisa Palles, PA-C, MPAS
Physician Assistant · Defy Medical
Hormone optimization PA-C with a Defy patient-services background, endocrinology interest, and symptom-plus-lab approach
About
Marisa Palles, PA-C, is a physician assistant on the Defy Medical care team. She is a Tampa Bay native, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida in 2018, and completed a Master of Physician Assistant Studies at South University in 2022, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Her path through Defy is unusual: she worked as a Patient Services Specialist before PA school, then returned to the clinical team after training. Her published clinical interest is hormone optimization with an endocrinology lean, using both symptoms and lab values to guide care.
What to Know
Signature approach
Palles works hormone optimization by reading symptoms and lab values together. Her patient-services background gives her practical familiarity with the Defy care pathway before the clinical visit, while PA training and an endocrinology interest shape the medical side. The result is a patient-facing style that connects what the panel reports with how the patient feels, functions, trains, sleeps, and recovers.
What sets them apart
- Internal Defy path. She worked in patient services before becoming a PA-C, so she knows the operational side of the care model.
- Endocrinology interest. Her source bio names hormone optimization and endocrinology as the center of her clinical focus.
- Local Tampa Bay training. USF undergraduate background and current Defy role keep her tied to the Tampa-area practice base.
Before You Book
- Ask for her by name if continuity matters. Defy uses a team model, and provider assignment may not be automatic.
- Expect symptom-plus-lab work. Her profile is strongest for hormone optimization and quality-of-life goals.
- Plan through the self-pay model. Visits, labs, medications, and consults are paid directly.
- Consider career stage. Her PA credentialing dates to 2022, so patients seeking the most senior clinician may want to compare with longer-tenured Defy providers.
Expertise
Focus areas
Patient types
Credentials
Education
Bachelor of Science
University of South Florida (2018)
Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Physician Assistant Studies
South University (2022)
Board certifications
Physician Assistant — Certified
NCCPA
National board certification for physician assistants — administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Additional certifications
Member, Florida Academy of PAs (FAPA)
Florida Academy of PAs
Statewide professional society for Florida physician assistants — membership reflects ongoing engagement with PA-profession education and advocacy.
Years in practice
3
NPI
1356088421
Affiliations
Other specialists at Defy Medical
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